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Al-Kazemi: We have achieved successes by confronting uncontrolled weapons and changing the dollar exchange rate is not the government's decision
political| 12:35 - 30/04/2022
Baghdad - Mawazine News
, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi confirmed that the decision to change the dollar exchange rate is not a government decision and was taken with the participation of all political forces, while indicating successes in confronting uncontrolled weapons.
Al-Kazemi said in an interview with the official newspaper, which was followed by / Mawazine News / that "we must first differentiate between the constitutional context and the crisis of the political process.
I have previously talked about that the current crisis is in essence a "crisis of confidence", because the political forces can get out of the current political blockage and make sacrifices or concessions here or there, if there is a mutual trust that frames the Iraqi political situation, so I think that the solution It is not in political discourses, but rather in an attempt to restore confidence.
And trust, here, does not mean the necessity of participation or the formation of the government or not, but rather, restoring confidence means that everyone in the government or in the opposition considers the constitution, laws, national constants, and state institutions to be the basic foundations. on which it is based.
We need a new atmosphere and deep discussions regarding the overall political situation, including agreement on fundamental constitutional amendments in order to begin steps to restore confidence, and then end political blockages, whether today or in the future.
Regarding the white paper, Al-Kazemi explained, “We must first take into account that the current government, which was honored to preside over it, came in an exceptional situation, and it had a basic and main task in front of it, which was to reach free and fair elections,
and (the current government) was not required to make economic transformations in the structure An economic imbalance that has accumulated or major economic reforms are proposed, and
everyone remembers the exceptional circumstances under which the government came: a suffocating economic crisis, low oil prices, and the outbreak of the “Corona” epidemic that affected all countries of the world and all aspects of life in an unprecedented way.
In fact, from the first month of the government’s life, I was required to provide the necessary funds to pay the salaries of employees, retirees, beneficiaries of social welfare benefits, basic state expenses, measures to combat the “Corona” epidemic, and basic security requirements,
which are about 10-12 trillion dinars per month.
In contrast, the resources did not exceed The state at the time, especially in the oil sector, was a trillion dinars only because of the collapse in oil prices.
Yes, we overcame this bitter reality by all possible means and by all available methods, but I cannot be a false witness in front of our people, and I am not the type who bet on deceiving people. and mislead public opinion.
Therefore, I said and always say that
the economic structure in Iraq needs a comprehensive reform in order to face the future and prepare for all crises and obstacles if they are repeated, and
we have succeeded within two years of the government’s work in achieving the highest rate of economic growth at the level of Arab countries, according to the reports of the International Monetary Fund,
which expected that the rate of economic growth would reach In Iraq, it increased to 9.5% during 2022 and 2023.
This growth was based on reformist beginnings.
We do not say that it was without errors, but it established a scientific reform approach for its building blocks.
Unfortunately, many of those who criticized the White Paper did not bother reading it and did not try to discuss it.
In the end, it is not a sacred text, but rather an attempt to save the economy of this country, and this (white paper) is subject to amendment, addition and updating according to local and international economic developments.
We said that the continued dependence on oil, which finances 95% of the country’s general budget, is a great crime and an unacceptable injustice against this generation in Iraq and future generations.
That is why we tried to reduce the budget’s dependence on oil and we succeeded in part, and this reduction must continue so that the oil resources are for the benefit of the Generations Fund and not for non-strategic monthly consumption".
Regarding the decision to change the dollar exchange rate, between the Prime Minister, he said, "It must be said that we did not put in our economic work any electoral or promotional goals, and
we say that real reform will not be achieved without suffering and damage, and this is the reality.
But we are with real, balanced reform that It needs treatments for the collateral damage caused by important decisions,
so in the 2021 budget, for example, and in conjunction with the change in the dollar exchange rate,
we raised the social welfare allocations in the general budget law to 3 trillion dinars, and
this number was allocated to the categories that we expected to be the most According to specialized studies,
we were not bidding on anyone, but we were dealing with the negative effects of the high exchange rate and improving the living conditions of low-income people.
But the brothers in the previous parliament refused to listen to our arguments in this regard and reduced the amount to less than 700 billion dinars only.
At the same time, they reduced the investment budget, which aimed at reviving the labor market, motivating projects, spinning the wheel of the local economy, and activating the role of the private sector.
That is why we say again, returning to the concept of trust in political action, that the country cannot advance without building confidence on all levels, especially in the relationship between the executive and legislative authorities to achieve harmony in reform steps and prevent clashes or interpretations that may have negative results.
Everyone knows that changing the exchange rate was neither a qualitative decision nor the decision of this government, but was preceded by studies that lasted for years, and
all forces were shared political and parliament before taking it, based on the fact that oil prices may not meet the minimum requirements of our people in times of crisis, and that we need to work together to correct the Iraqi economy.”
Al-Kazemi talked about the achievements in confronting the loose weapons and said,
Our accusation of not fighting uncontrolled weapons lacks two attributes: credibility, fairness and credibility, because whoever launches it must first review all the steps taken by the government in the file of uncontrolled weapons, and invoke the fact that this is not a temporary and instant decision taken by the authorities, but rather a thorny and complex file that contains political and social dimensions and religious,
and the government must confront it at several levels and with a patient and cumulative vision in the security act, and whoever reviews the conditions in 2020 with credibility and away from the atmosphere of opportunism and review, must admit that there has been a significant development in the security file at all levels, starting with resetting the outcomes of the social crisis produced by the demonstrations.
Popularity between 2019 and 2020, thus restoring the trust that was broken between the people and security institutions, drying up the sources of terrorism and breaking its thorns, besieging outlaws and working to apply the law to everyone without exception.
And I say that this accusation lacks fairness as well, because everyone who is just has to review the activities of murder, terrorism, organized crime and security turmoil in 2019-2020 and compare them with the reality we live in now.
Many and many legal accounts. Today, there are officers, associates, and employees who are sentenced to death or life after the law has been applied to them, and there are criminals who are being tried for transgressing the law, as is the case with death squads in Basra province, the killers of Hisham al-Hashemi, organized crime gangs and many others, not to mention the lurking terrorism.
The question here is: Are all its enough? Answer: No. Certainly we need more work to get things back in full order and bring everyone under the rule of law.
And the other question: Did something happen in this file?
Here I leave the answer not to political jurisprudence or media reviews, but to the Iraqi people, who have become more adherent to the law and more adherent to the state and an understanding of the complex circumstances and the minefield in which this government has walked, and therefore,
I do not ask for media or political justice because I am certain and confident that our people are equitable.
The tweet you launched translates the basic principles of any democratic system, which is that elections represent the natural way out of political crises, and that government formation mechanisms must be completed as defined by the constitution.
I headed a government for a transitional period and did what satisfied my conscience in performing my duties at this stage, but on the political level, it is still early to talk in this regard.”
With regard to the current year’s budget, Al-Kazemi added: “This topic has been under discussion during the past period, and we believe that it would be better if there was a government with full powers to present a draft budget law for 2022 with the terms and specifications required by the economic reform project and the political and economic transformations and challenges taking place in Iraq and the world.”.
As for its transfer to the next government, the matter depends on the speed of formation of that government, and there are immediate legal solutions that can overcome the damages that occur due to the absence of the budget.
Russia and Ukraine, the rise in oil prices, and consequently the high prices of goods and services globally and the inability to legislate the budget at the present time, and for this the “Food Security” law will enable the government to overcome the obstacles of the current crisis and provide cover to support the poor classes, support the ration card and finance many strategic projects that are threatened with suspension due to lack of funding.
He added, "If I may use the term 'password', then this word is the word I use internally, which is trust and credibility as well.
Some people understood politics as an opportunistic project, and this is a completely wrong concept.
I think that politics has many ethical aspects.
The most important of these aspects is building on commonalities and building trust.
A country cannot develop naturally apart from its neighbors, and all countries of the world must have good and sound relations with everyone. God has blessed Iraq with an important geostrategic location in the region and the world, and this location requires us to be a point of convergence and not a point of intersection.
Al-Kazemi concluded his dialogue by talking about the mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia that Iraq adopted and added: “Yes, Iraq has a direct interest in achieving understandings between the countries of the region and achieving regional stability, and
because we have good relations with the two parties and with various regional and international parties, we were able to create a positive dialogue atmosphere on the The land of Iraq, many of which have not been announced.
The brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic are dealing with the file of dialogue with high responsibility and the requirements of the current situation in the region, and
we are confident that the understanding is soon, God willing, and there is a real and wide breakthrough in the relations between all the countries of the region, backed by conviction.
Firm and sound intentions that the future of the region depends on starting to view it as a system of converging and not intersecting interests, and that this system cannot devote itself to economic construction and catch up with global development without solving its problems and zeroing its crises.
Al-Kazemi: We have achieved successes by confronting uncontrolled weapons and changing the dollar exchange rate is not the government's decision
political| 12:35 - 30/04/2022
Baghdad - Mawazine News
, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi confirmed that the decision to change the dollar exchange rate is not a government decision and was taken with the participation of all political forces, while indicating successes in confronting uncontrolled weapons.
Al-Kazemi said in an interview with the official newspaper, which was followed by / Mawazine News / that "we must first differentiate between the constitutional context and the crisis of the political process.
I have previously talked about that the current crisis is in essence a "crisis of confidence", because the political forces can get out of the current political blockage and make sacrifices or concessions here or there, if there is a mutual trust that frames the Iraqi political situation, so I think that the solution It is not in political discourses, but rather in an attempt to restore confidence.
And trust, here, does not mean the necessity of participation or the formation of the government or not, but rather, restoring confidence means that everyone in the government or in the opposition considers the constitution, laws, national constants, and state institutions to be the basic foundations. on which it is based.
We need a new atmosphere and deep discussions regarding the overall political situation, including agreement on fundamental constitutional amendments in order to begin steps to restore confidence, and then end political blockages, whether today or in the future.
Regarding the white paper, Al-Kazemi explained, “We must first take into account that the current government, which was honored to preside over it, came in an exceptional situation, and it had a basic and main task in front of it, which was to reach free and fair elections,
and (the current government) was not required to make economic transformations in the structure An economic imbalance that has accumulated or major economic reforms are proposed, and
everyone remembers the exceptional circumstances under which the government came: a suffocating economic crisis, low oil prices, and the outbreak of the “Corona” epidemic that affected all countries of the world and all aspects of life in an unprecedented way.
In fact, from the first month of the government’s life, I was required to provide the necessary funds to pay the salaries of employees, retirees, beneficiaries of social welfare benefits, basic state expenses, measures to combat the “Corona” epidemic, and basic security requirements,
which are about 10-12 trillion dinars per month.
In contrast, the resources did not exceed The state at the time, especially in the oil sector, was a trillion dinars only because of the collapse in oil prices.
Yes, we overcame this bitter reality by all possible means and by all available methods, but I cannot be a false witness in front of our people, and I am not the type who bet on deceiving people. and mislead public opinion.
Therefore, I said and always say that
the economic structure in Iraq needs a comprehensive reform in order to face the future and prepare for all crises and obstacles if they are repeated, and
we have succeeded within two years of the government’s work in achieving the highest rate of economic growth at the level of Arab countries, according to the reports of the International Monetary Fund,
which expected that the rate of economic growth would reach In Iraq, it increased to 9.5% during 2022 and 2023.
This growth was based on reformist beginnings.
We do not say that it was without errors, but it established a scientific reform approach for its building blocks.
Unfortunately, many of those who criticized the White Paper did not bother reading it and did not try to discuss it.
In the end, it is not a sacred text, but rather an attempt to save the economy of this country, and this (white paper) is subject to amendment, addition and updating according to local and international economic developments.
We said that the continued dependence on oil, which finances 95% of the country’s general budget, is a great crime and an unacceptable injustice against this generation in Iraq and future generations.
That is why we tried to reduce the budget’s dependence on oil and we succeeded in part, and this reduction must continue so that the oil resources are for the benefit of the Generations Fund and not for non-strategic monthly consumption".
Regarding the decision to change the dollar exchange rate, between the Prime Minister, he said, "It must be said that we did not put in our economic work any electoral or promotional goals, and
we say that real reform will not be achieved without suffering and damage, and this is the reality.
But we are with real, balanced reform that It needs treatments for the collateral damage caused by important decisions,
so in the 2021 budget, for example, and in conjunction with the change in the dollar exchange rate,
we raised the social welfare allocations in the general budget law to 3 trillion dinars, and
this number was allocated to the categories that we expected to be the most According to specialized studies,
we were not bidding on anyone, but we were dealing with the negative effects of the high exchange rate and improving the living conditions of low-income people.
But the brothers in the previous parliament refused to listen to our arguments in this regard and reduced the amount to less than 700 billion dinars only.
At the same time, they reduced the investment budget, which aimed at reviving the labor market, motivating projects, spinning the wheel of the local economy, and activating the role of the private sector.
That is why we say again, returning to the concept of trust in political action, that the country cannot advance without building confidence on all levels, especially in the relationship between the executive and legislative authorities to achieve harmony in reform steps and prevent clashes or interpretations that may have negative results.
Everyone knows that changing the exchange rate was neither a qualitative decision nor the decision of this government, but was preceded by studies that lasted for years, and
all forces were shared political and parliament before taking it, based on the fact that oil prices may not meet the minimum requirements of our people in times of crisis, and that we need to work together to correct the Iraqi economy.”
Al-Kazemi talked about the achievements in confronting the loose weapons and said,
Our accusation of not fighting uncontrolled weapons lacks two attributes: credibility, fairness and credibility, because whoever launches it must first review all the steps taken by the government in the file of uncontrolled weapons, and invoke the fact that this is not a temporary and instant decision taken by the authorities, but rather a thorny and complex file that contains political and social dimensions and religious,
and the government must confront it at several levels and with a patient and cumulative vision in the security act, and whoever reviews the conditions in 2020 with credibility and away from the atmosphere of opportunism and review, must admit that there has been a significant development in the security file at all levels, starting with resetting the outcomes of the social crisis produced by the demonstrations.
Popularity between 2019 and 2020, thus restoring the trust that was broken between the people and security institutions, drying up the sources of terrorism and breaking its thorns, besieging outlaws and working to apply the law to everyone without exception.
And I say that this accusation lacks fairness as well, because everyone who is just has to review the activities of murder, terrorism, organized crime and security turmoil in 2019-2020 and compare them with the reality we live in now.
Many and many legal accounts. Today, there are officers, associates, and employees who are sentenced to death or life after the law has been applied to them, and there are criminals who are being tried for transgressing the law, as is the case with death squads in Basra province, the killers of Hisham al-Hashemi, organized crime gangs and many others, not to mention the lurking terrorism.
The question here is: Are all its enough? Answer: No. Certainly we need more work to get things back in full order and bring everyone under the rule of law.
And the other question: Did something happen in this file?
Here I leave the answer not to political jurisprudence or media reviews, but to the Iraqi people, who have become more adherent to the law and more adherent to the state and an understanding of the complex circumstances and the minefield in which this government has walked, and therefore,
I do not ask for media or political justice because I am certain and confident that our people are equitable.
The tweet you launched translates the basic principles of any democratic system, which is that elections represent the natural way out of political crises, and that government formation mechanisms must be completed as defined by the constitution.
I headed a government for a transitional period and did what satisfied my conscience in performing my duties at this stage, but on the political level, it is still early to talk in this regard.”
With regard to the current year’s budget, Al-Kazemi added: “This topic has been under discussion during the past period, and we believe that it would be better if there was a government with full powers to present a draft budget law for 2022 with the terms and specifications required by the economic reform project and the political and economic transformations and challenges taking place in Iraq and the world.”.
As for its transfer to the next government, the matter depends on the speed of formation of that government, and there are immediate legal solutions that can overcome the damages that occur due to the absence of the budget.
Russia and Ukraine, the rise in oil prices, and consequently the high prices of goods and services globally and the inability to legislate the budget at the present time, and for this the “Food Security” law will enable the government to overcome the obstacles of the current crisis and provide cover to support the poor classes, support the ration card and finance many strategic projects that are threatened with suspension due to lack of funding.
He added, "If I may use the term 'password', then this word is the word I use internally, which is trust and credibility as well.
Some people understood politics as an opportunistic project, and this is a completely wrong concept.
I think that politics has many ethical aspects.
The most important of these aspects is building on commonalities and building trust.
A country cannot develop naturally apart from its neighbors, and all countries of the world must have good and sound relations with everyone. God has blessed Iraq with an important geostrategic location in the region and the world, and this location requires us to be a point of convergence and not a point of intersection.
Al-Kazemi concluded his dialogue by talking about the mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia that Iraq adopted and added: “Yes, Iraq has a direct interest in achieving understandings between the countries of the region and achieving regional stability, and
because we have good relations with the two parties and with various regional and international parties, we were able to create a positive dialogue atmosphere on the The land of Iraq, many of which have not been announced.
The brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic are dealing with the file of dialogue with high responsibility and the requirements of the current situation in the region, and
we are confident that the understanding is soon, God willing, and there is a real and wide breakthrough in the relations between all the countries of the region, backed by conviction.
Firm and sound intentions that the future of the region depends on starting to view it as a system of converging and not intersecting interests, and that this system cannot devote itself to economic construction and catch up with global development without solving its problems and zeroing its crises.
